


Miyabi's Journey

by Cantatrice18



Category: Ai Yori Aoshi | Bluer Than Indigo
Genre: Character Study, Drabble Sequence, Gen, Missing Scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-03-15
Updated: 2012-03-15
Packaged: 2017-11-01 23:29:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 2,380
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/362476
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cantatrice18/pseuds/Cantatrice18
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A series of very short stories that illustrate Miyabi's life from early childhood through the end of the anime. How did she come by her devotion to Aoi, and what were her true feelings as the group of students living at the mansion gradually increased in number.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Birthday Party

_“Miya-chan, don’t cry. You shouldn’t be sad today, not when Sakuraba-sama has let you have such a nice party with a beautiful cake.” ___

_“Yes, Miya-chan. The dress can be cleaned; it will be as good as new, I promise. Now, go play with your school friends, or they’ll think you’ve forgotten them. And don’t forget to say sorry to Yayoi-chan: it isn’t her fault the tea spilled.”_

Miyabi sniffed, drying her eyes on one sleeve, then nodded and ran back to the table where three other girls in ruffled dresses sat waiting. She felt her parent’s eyes upon her as she apologized politely to a girl with short black hair. They were always watching and keeping her safe; Okaa-san, with her kind smile and gentle hands; Otoo-san, who smelled of pine and whose arms were strong and solid as they held her. As long as they were there she would believe that anything was possible.


	2. The Family

_“There is no question of her leaving. After everything her parents did to serve this family, she cannot possibly be expected to make her way alone in the world. She’ll stay here, under my supervision, and when she finishes school she’ll join the household, as is proper for a girl of her station.”_

A low voice murmured something indistinct, then the first voice returned, sounding pleased. _“That’s settled then. And who knows? She may be a help when the baby is born.” ___

Miyabi stepped away from the door, reluctant to hear any more. Her future had already been decided for her, though it was hardly unexpected. She’d always known that she would serve the Sakuraba house one day, as her family had for generations before her. She only wished… but fate intervened. Her parents were gone, dead in a car crash that should never have happened. Now she was the only Kagurazaki left to serve the family. Her mother’s words drifted back to her through her memory, as fresh as if they’d been spoken the day before:

_“The family must come first, Miya-chan. Above all else, they must be kept happy and safe, and it is our duty to ensure that no harm comes to them and that no worry troubles their dreams.” ___

Miyabi gritted her teeth. In honor of her ancestors, she would do as they commanded her: the Sakuraba family would receive as loyal and devoted a servant as they could imagine, and she would make her parents proud.


	3. Aoi

So tiny. Like a doll, a tuft of hair crowning a round face, sparkling blue eyes completing the image of the perfect child. Miyabi reached trembling fingers towards the girl, but stopped herself an inch away. “It’s alright. You can touch her, she won’t break.” Oku-sama stood by her side, gazing down at the little girl proudly. Miyabi’s breath caught in her throat as she felt tiny hands grip her index finger. The baby held on to her as though she were a fascinating toy. Their eyes met and Miyabi felt a love so deep and powerful stir within her that she could hardly comprehend it. She found it hard to breathe, all her thoughts centered on that one, tiny being clutching her hand. “Aoi…sama.”


	4. Duty

The uniform lay in the box, neatly folded and pressed as though ready to wear again. Miyabi ran a trembling hand over the crisp lapels before replacing the lid and fastening it tightly. She was finished with school. She could no longer excuse her time away from the family, her time away from little Aoi-sama. The idea of going to college was laughable. She was not a student anymore, but a teacher, and it was her duty to mold the little girl into the perfect Japanese woman. She heard a noise from the next room and quickly tucked the box away beneath her cot, then went to care for her young charge and prepare that day’s lesson.


	5. Lecture

“Kaoru-sama, Kaoru-sama, Kaoru-sama”

The little girl was babbling happily, eyes sparkling as she daydreamed. “ – and then we’ll get married, and I’ll be with him always, and we’ll have a big family, and everyone will be happy all the time!”

Miyabi sighed. Her little pupil had been unable to concentrate for days, too caught up in childish dreams of matrimonial bliss. The girl had learned nothing at all since she’d set eyes on the boy she was to marry. “Yes, Aoi-sama, but will you be ready to be Kaoru-san’s wife when the time comes?”

Aoi looked at her in surprise, and she continued. “A proper Japanese woman must be refined and ladylike, educated enough to help her husband, yet tactful enough to know when to be silent. She must serve at his every whim. Do you think you are ready for that?”

Aoi hesitated, then nodded. Miyabi raised an eyebrow. “What if he wants help accounting? You have yet to learn your multiplication tables. And what if he needs invitations written? Your penmanship is not yet that of a lady. And can you use a fan, Aoi-sama?”

The little girl looked horrorstruck. Without warning she leapt off her stool and ran to Miyabi, wrapping her arms tightly around the woman’s legs. “Teach me, Miyabi-san. I want to learn, I want to learn everything!”


	6. Outrage

He was on top of her. And he was naked. She was sprawled on the floor, helpless, her kimono hiked up and her legs bare. Her scream was wretched and heartbreaking, like a trapped bird. Miyabi felt rage coursing through her. How dare he touch Aoi-sama, how dare he abuse her gentle nature and take advantage. She was a delicate flower, easily crushed and broken. Miyabi’s fists clenched: he would pay for this, she would see to it.


	7. Moving In

Sidelong glances. Hushed exchanges when they thought she wasn’t looking. The brush of hands, accidental or otherwise. Miyabi was no fool; she could tell that Aoi-sama was as enamored of the flesh-and-blood Kaoru as she had been with her dream Kaoru all these years. But why? The boy was quiet, ordinary, unexceptional in every way. He was a mediocre college student too lax in his duties to even stand by his own family. And yet for Aoi-sama he was the world. Her eyes lit up when she saw him, and her smile was more genuine than Miyabi had ever seen.

She was so absorbed in her own thoughts that she missed a step on the stairs. She stumbled, throwing a hand out to catch herself. A strong arm wrapped around her waist, keeping her upright. She looked up into the worried brown eyes of Kaoru. “Are you alright, Miyabi-san?”

Hastily she yanked free of his grasp, feeling a slight flush coming to her cheeks. “I am perfectly fine, Kaoru-san. Your help was unnecessary.”

He shrugged. “As long as you aren’t hurt.” Turning, he headed back down the stairs towards the servants’ quarters where he was to live. Miyabi watched him go, new questions filling her mind. After what seemed like an age she jerked herself free of her own musings and set about cleaning. There was plenty of time to discover the true character of Hanabishi Kaoru.


	8. Affront to Decency

She sighed as she undid her blouse, letting it fall to the floor. Looking up, she caught sight of her reflection in the long mirror. Straightening, she examined herself critically. A memory of the day’s events flitted across her mind and her hand went unconsciously to her chest, fingering the edge of her bra. Tina. That unruly and brash American had touched her, had touched Aoi-sama lewdly, and she had been unable to stop it. Everything had happened so fast, and she’d never expected the blonde to sneak up on her like that. She shivered slightly. Such a thing could not be allowed to happen again. When she thought of the psychological damage that could have been done to someone as delicate and fragile as Aoi-sama… She gritted her teeth, her arms dropping to her sides. Rest assured, tomorrow night the young American would be living far away, even if Miyabi had to build the appropriate lodgings from the ground up with her own two hands.


	9. Fixable

Three porcelain vases broken; a plate, a tea saucer, and a soup bowl chipped; two upstairs windowpanes cracked; half the hallway covered with slippery soap-scum; laundry caked in mud; it was too much, it was all too much. Miyabi felt a headache coming on fast. She stalked downstairs, avoiding the noise of arguing in the living room. If only she could get some tea…

She heard a soft voice from the kitchen and froze, peering around the corner. Her charge was explaining how to parboil vegetables to an awkward redhead whose wide, peering eyes stared nervously at the pot on the stove. “You see, you just take them out early, after only a few seconds for most types. It just gives them a bit of a start, for what you want to do later.”

“Later…” said the girl anxiously. 

“You know – roasting or sautéing. Here, come look.” Aoi-sama pulled out a book and the pair huddled around it as Aoi-sama read a recipe out loud. Miyabi felt a jolt of surprise as she saw the faded and worn cover – it was her own cookbook of tried and true recipes that she’d used herself when she was just learning to cook. It was usually kept on a forgotten shelf in her office, but Aoi-sama must have found it somehow and brought it down. She watched the girls thoughtfully. The redhead was nodding earnestly, looking determined. Miyabi’s head throbbed and she raised a hand to her temples, wincing. So much had gone wrong, and yet… and yet the girl was teachable. She tried hard, she wanted to work, to learn. And without a job she would have no place to go.

Turning, Miyabi headed back up the stairs, forgoing tea for the moment. She would not turn the girl out, that much was certain. She grimaced, thinking of the many valuable things that would doubtless be soiled or broken in the coming days. But as she turned the corner, a light laugh from the kitchen made her ill humor fade. Aoi-sama was happy - there was nothing more precious than that.


	10. Phone Call

_“It is not your place to voice opinions on the matter. Bring her back here tomorrow morning, and the new negotiations can start immediately. That is all.” ___

Miyabi held the dead receiver in one hand, her thoughts jumbled and indistinct. Away – they were going away. She and Aoi-sama had to leave; Aoi-sama had to leave her beloved Kaoru. She could hear the group of happy teenagers in the living room and she felt a sharp pain shoot through her chest, breaking through her trance. Shaking her head to clear it, she walked slowly back to rejoin the group. There was nothing to be done. It was the desire of head of the Sakurabas that Aoi-sama marry another, and her only duty was to the family. “And what about your duty to Aoi-sama herself?” asked the voice in her head before she could stop it. She had no answer.


	11. Uncertainties

She stopped after only five minutes, pulling to the side of the road and resting her head in her hands. She had no doubt that she’d done the right thing; the memory of Aoi-sama’s tortured expression, of her silent tears, had convinced her that the girl could never give up her love for Kaoru. But now that she’d arranged everything, now that the lovers were tucked away, unsupervised, for the night, worries and outright fears began to plague her. She might never see them again. If they eloped, where would they go? The family would try to find them, they couldn’t stay in Tokyo, and Aoi-sama was so inexperienced in the ways of the world. Money – they’d have to find other sources, they couldn’t use Aoi-sama's once she was disinherited (and that was inevitable). Miyabi hated to admit it, but some of her fears were for herself as well. She’d served the family her entire life, before and after her parents’ death, and yet her actions would be seen as betrayal. She would be cast out, with no one to turn to and nowhere to go. Without references, how would she find work? Where could she even stay? It was too much to think about, too much to contemplate. She restarted the BMW’s engine and sped off once more. A nearby hotel would be all she needed, and then a long shower and a handful of sleeping pills. She couldn’t stand brooding for any longer.


	12. Home

_“Let us all go back home, Miyabi-san, to where our ‘Family’ awaits us.” ___

Aoi-sama’s fingers were graceful and delicate as always, but they held a newfound strength and Miyabi found herself unable to pull away. Or perhaps it was only that she did not want to. The idea of living without Aoi-sama had drawn all the color and joy out of the future, but a part of her also longed for the household that they’d created, the group of unlikely people thriving together in an out-of-the-way place. Their mansion (and it truly did belong to all of them) was something new for her, more than just a house or an office. For the first time she had a home, a place where she belonged and that she would feel lost without. And now she had permission to return to it, alongside the person she loved most. Aoi-sama was a woman now, all grown up, but she still needed some looking after from the person who knew her best. Their fingers interlaced and Miyabi smiled. She craved noise, and burnt food, and late nights with games and drinks. She wanted to stroke Uzume and shoo the cats away from the bird-feeders. She wanted to watch Taeko hang laundry in the yard as she sat in her office going through paperwork. And she was going to have all that. Stepping to one side, she opened the car door and motioned for the pair to enter. “I believe I can have us there by dinner time, if traffic allows,” she said formally. They smiled at her and she smiled back, feeling lighter than she had in weeks, then took her place behind the wheel. It was time to go home.


End file.
